If that Mockingbird Don't Sing
by jisaly
Summary: Gently, he tucked a strand of hair, creamy white like the moon, behind her ear and then he touched the lobe and she felt ice blooming there, forming a diamond earring.
1. Mississippi Heat

**If that Mockingbird Don't Sing**

* * *

_Mississippi Heat_

"Could you let me in, Rogue? The mosquitoes are eating me alive."

She stood in the doorway, her face fragmented by the tiny wires of the mesh screen, her body frozen by the mere sight of him. Of all places, she had least expected to see him in sweltering Mississippi. He hated the heat usually, though his body had always remained cool to the touch and she knew how his skin felt from experience.

He was surprised to see so much bared skin on her. Without the elbow-long gloves, the trailing scarves, and the dark clothes, she looked different. Not at all like Rogue. She could only be called Marie. And he liked it, liked her looking flushed from heat and something else.

"Marie!" a voice from inside called. "Who's at the door honey?"

A woman with a rich mass of lush brown hair appeared by Marie's side and with their faces beside each other, he noticed how they shared the same wide, opaque eyes and the same spilling mane of cocoa color.

Slowly, Marie said, "Bobby, this is my momma."

Her mother smiled merrily toward Bobby before looking again at her daughter expectantly. "Honey, introduce the young man. Is he your --- "

"Mom!" Marie cut in sharply, her cheeks tinting an even deeper shade of red, as was the usual reaction of teenage girls embarrassed by their mothers.

Bobby however, grinned and reached forward to shake the mother's hand. "Yes, Mrs. d'Ancanto, I'm her boyfriend."

In his mind, he recalled the first time he had said those words to Logan and remembered how blatantly possessive he had been. But he had also been proud of the fact that he was her boyfriend and he was proud now to say those words again.

Marie on the other hand, still seemed stunned by his arrival and as she wordlessly led him inside into the kitchen, her glances at him were questioning, as if to ask, 'Why are you here?'

"Marie didn't tell me that anyone was comin' so Ah don't have anything cookin' on the stove right now," Mrs. d'Ancanto told him, sending her daughter a playfully scolding look while placing a stack of plates onto the tiled counter. "Ah do have some pie however. Do ya like pecan?"

"Never tasted it before, ma'm," Bobby replied. "But I've heard it's pretty delicious."

Swiftly, Mrs. d'Ancanto carved out a generous slice of pecan pie and deposited it onto a plate in front of him. Across the table, Marie watched him as he took a bite and savored it.

"Well?" she asked softly. "Do ya like it?"

He met her gaze. "I love it, Marie."

She looked down and hearing her true name on his lips only made her fall in love with the color ice blue all over again.

* * *


	2. Beautiful BlueEyed Boys

**Title: Mockingbirds Beside the Pecan Tree**

**Chapter 2: Beautiful Blue-Eyed Boys**

That night, they sat under the pecan tree in Marie's backyard. Lightly veiled by the wispy clouds, the moon shed a faint glow upon them and a slight breeze was rustling through the trees with the aroma of magnolia blossoms tagging along. Beside him, Marie looked more blissful than he had ever seen her and slowly, he took her hand.

Bare skin firm against bare skin and he couldn't resist stroking her palm. She turned toward him, tense, and said quietly,

"What are you doing here, Bobby?"

"I don't understand why you left," he answered, running a finger along her thumb.

She stopped him, gently pressing down on his hand and saying, "We're not what we used to be."

Standing up, she untied a thin cardigan from around her waist and slipped it over her pale shoulders, barricading herself again and the gesture hurt him more than she would ever guess. He looked up at her with a set jaw while she directed her attention toward the moon, her loosely swept up hair slowly unraveling from its bun.

"Ya'll need a place to sleep tonight," she mused aloud. "We don't have a guest room but there's a motel'bout five minutes from here."

She faced him and asked nonchalantly, "Are ya stayin'tomorrow too?"

"As a matter of fact, I am," he responded, sounding almost defiant.

"Well, Ah'm goin'to bed now so see ya latah, sugah," she said over her shoulder as she started to head back to the house, leaving him underneath a darkening moon.

Marie collapsed on her bed, groaning, "Oh Gawd," into her pillow. _He thinks Ah need help again. He thinks Ah need his help. For once Bobby, why can't ya just leave a traumatized person in peace? _She rolled over and smiled bitterly at the ceiling. _Ah don't need any of your psychology Iceman._

She undressed quickly, shedding her clothes like a snake and pulling a nightgown over her head. In her bed again, she tried to close her eyes and sleep. It was impossible. _Damned beautiful blue-eyed boys._

Instead, she found herself sitting at her dressing table, staring into the mirror and watching herself trace the green lace that bordered the nightgown's neckline.

She found herself remembering that she had once wanted to touch and be touched so badly, she had willingly surrendered a part of herself just to feel the texture of skin whether it'd be rough or smooth. Just so she could borrow a pencil without wearing gloves that made her sweat. Just so she could fully hug someone or kiss her boyfriend without him ending up forever cold and dead.

But she was _happy _now She could hug her momma and kiss her momma for cooking up the foods she had missed the most. She could kiss Bobby. But she didn't have to. After all, she didn't take the Cure for him.


	3. How Very Hard Hearts Can Be

**Title: Mockingbirds Beside the Pecan Tree**

**Chapter 3: How Very Hard Hearts Can Be**

She showed up at the motel at nine the next morning and greeted him looking pissed.

"Momma wants me to take ya sightseein'," she stated, resting her elbows on the table and her head in her hands as she watched him eat Fruit Loops.

"You don't look too happy about it, Marie," he commented.

She raised her eyebrows at him. "Ya know Bobby," she said awkwardly. "You can just call me Rogue."

"Nah," he said, smirking. "I like the name Marie."

Seeing that he was finished with his bowl of multi-colored milk, she stood up and crossed her arms. As they walked out the door, he heard her mutter, "Fine. Be that way, _Robert_."

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They spent the morning touring a small zoo, feeding handfuls of pellets to ducks and observing a monkey that scratched its armpits fanatically.

"Kinda reminds me of Pete," Bobby remarked drolly. "Though I bet the monkey smells better."

For the first time since he arrived, she started laughing and she dragged him away before he could make anymore comments about the monkey or Pete.

They went to see the elephant next and there, she turned to him and opened her mouth to say, "Bobby, I think we should talk about ---"

"Hi Marie!"

A girl, maybe ten years old, had run up to them.

"Heya Natalie," Marie said, smiling and pulling the girl into a hug. " How are ya?"

"Good," Natalie said cheerfully and then asked, "Where have ya been, Marie? Ah haven't see ya for three years and my mama hired that old Mrs. Abbott as my babysitter instead."

"Natalie!"

An older woman was hurrying toward them, her thin lips pressed into a frigid line and Bobby could only assume that it was the girl's mother. Snatching Natalie's hand, the woman bent down, her wide eyes scanning her daughter's face anxiously.

"Come on darling," the woman muttered, leading her daughter away and giving one last fearful look at Marie. As they walked off, Bobby heard the woman say, "Ah told ya not to go near her!"

Marie's smile had faded. She stared after the girl and her mother for a long time before clearing her throat and saying,

"Ah used to babysit Natalie. Known her since she was just a baby. Then of course, her momma an'the whole neighborhood saw what Ah did to David. They all stayed a clear distance away from me after that."

She started walking briskly, her hands digging into her pockets, clenching and unclenching.

"David's mother called me after the ambulance came," Marie continued. "Told me that Ah was a murderer and a devil's spawn."

She laughed mirthlessly as they exited the zoo.

"An'Ah believed her," Marie said under her breath, climbing into her car's driver seat. "Ah think Ah still do."

Bobby was silent. All he could think about was Natalie's childishly puzzled face, Rogue looking down at her hands, his own mother staring horrified at a frozen teacup, and Ronny dialing for the police.

Marie inserted the keys and started up the car, but she didn't start driving. Her lashes fluttered violently and she bit her lip, but the tears came anyway and he put his arm around her, wishing he could protect her from society even when he couldn't protect himself.


	4. Bare Shoulders and Moonlight Kisses

**Title: Mockingbirds Beside the Pecan Tree**

**Chapter 4: Bare Shoulders and Moonlight Kisses**

Moonlight found them at the edge of a pond where children usually played during daylight. At night though, the area was all clear of people and they had it all to themselves.

Marie sat indian-style, fingers plucking bits of grass as Bobby cooled off in the water, still wearing a dark blue t-shirt.

"Care to join me at all?" he asked.

"Sorry sugah," she replied absentmindedly. "Ah'd prefer to stay dry tonight."

"I won't molest you, you know," he said casually.

She flushed at the comment and was glad that it was too dark for him to see her. _One small blessing at least._

"Like Ah would let ya touch me, Drake," she scoffed playfully.

"Really? Then come into the water and let's see if you can keep your word," he dared her and a silence echoed between them.

Without a retort, she stood and slipped off her sandals. She toed the water once before wading in, shivering slightly and feeling all too dreamlike.

"Bobby?" she said uncertainly, stopping as the water reached her waist.

"Right here, Marie."

And he was behind her suddenly, cupping a handful of water and allowing it to trickle through his fingers and fall onto her hair.

"This is silly, Bobby," she complained. She was too close to him.

"No," he said softly, solemnly. "This is perfect."

Gently, he tucked a strand of hair, creamy white like the moon, behind her ear and then, he touched the lobe and she felt ice blooming there, forming a diamond earring. She tilted her head and looked at him with curious green eyes, She opened her mouth ---

"Shhh," he whispered and he leaned in, his mouth on her ear, tracing the ice earring.

Hot and frigid all at the same time and she had to bite her lip so she wouldn't moan. The ice was melting from his warm mouth now and he moved on to kiss her neck and she couldn't help but wrap her arms around his shoulders.


End file.
